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Étoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet

Released Nov 8, 2002 1h 36m Documentary List
62% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Filmmaker Nils Tavernier interviews teachers, students and established stars about the competitive world of ballet.

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times A much better documentary -- more revealing, more emotional and more surprising -- than its pedestrian English title would have you believe. Rated: 4/5 May 8, 2003 Full Review Octavio Roca San Francisco Chronicle There are touching moments in Etoiles, but for the most part this is a dull, dour documentary on what ought to be a joyful or at least fascinating subject. Rated: 1/4 Feb 24, 2003 Full Review Christine Temin Boston Globe This is art paying homage to art. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 10, 2003 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Aug 20, 2005 Full Review Brent Simon Entertainment Today Candid and comfortable; a film that deftly balances action and reflection as it lets you grasp and feel the passion others have for their work. Rated: B May 12, 2003 Full Review Bob Strauss Los Angeles Daily News Delivers roughly equal amounts of beautiful movement and inside information. Rated: 3/4 May 9, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (3) audience reviews
Audience Member Great documentary about the stars of the Paris Opera Ballet plus interviews and rehearsal footage with Jiri Kylian. This film does a great job of showing the immense dedication of these dancers in such a difficult, all-encompassing, and life-changing career choice. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Very nice footage and good insight to French dancers -- so far, most ballet documentaries I've come across focus on Russian dancers, and while I enjoy those, it's interesting to delve into another highly regarded school. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Why such a poor reception for a work I found so insanely beautiful and wonderful? Yes, it might have been less than 'insane' or fast-paced and people might have liked, but considering this is the PARIS Opera Ballet, I cannot expect anything else from such an amazing company who take pride in choosing only the best and dancing only the best. If you are one of those people who cannot sit down and admire something without it blasting in your face and ears, then Etoiles is most certainly NOT the film for you to watch, at all. It takes its time, but presents it in such an elegant and suitable matter you are completely engrossed in the world of ballet. It is more of a look inside the world of the Paris Opera Ballet. It is not explanatory about ballet in general, so if you know absolutely nothing about ballet or its dancers, you might be lost for some parts of the film. Etoiles provides what I feel is a rare view into the world of dancers we rarely get to see - rehearsals, how they feel about their profession, dance classes, etc. We see the creative process of a ballet from its very raw beginnings to the version we see on stage. Such notable figures in ballet such as Maurice Bejart make appearances in the film, and we get to see glimpses of his work(s) and other choreographers who call POB home. As mentioned before, Etoiles is not insanely glitzy. Well, at least, not in some people's standards. It is quiet, enjoyable, and relaxing. I don't know if this is to everyone's tastes or likings, but it was certainly to mine. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Étoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Nils Tavernier interviews teachers, students and established stars about the competitive world of ballet.
Director
Nils Tavernier
Producer
Frédéric Bourboulon, Agnès Le Pont, Agathe Berman
Distributor
First Run, Pyramide Distribution [fr]
Production Co
Gaïa Films, Le Studio Canal +, Little Bear [fr], Centre National de la Cinematographie
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 8, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$45.5K
Runtime
1h 36m